Twice
by Fruity Sangheili
Summary: Aran releases Rundas from the mental grasp of Dark Samus.  Now the only two able, the Hunters act to put a stop to Phazon engrossed Metroid before she consumes all with her Space Pirate legion.  Corruption AU.  Rated for Violence, language, gore.
1. Amazing Grace

**Author's Note: I do hope you all enjoy this. And unlike the many fictions between these two on here, I won't be abandoning or forgetting it. I hardly forget any of the stories I've written. It won't be a short story either, this will traverse the entire game of Metroid Prime: Corruption, yet with the slight alteration that is, the star pairing. The rating is mainly for violence, language, and gore, so if you're squimish, turn back. There will be romantic scenes in far later chapters, but none that come across as pornographic or otherwise entirely innapropriate. **

**Thanks!**

* * *

><p><em>"That was a little too hot for my liking... Well done Samus, but, now you owe me one."<em>

The words stung at the back of Samus' consciousness like the toxic knife-sharp tail end of a War Wasp. Was this how she'd really repay him? By ending his life?

Even as she rushed his dazed and wobbling form now... Cannon-arm extended and hand pressed against the hot metal... Her beam at the ready... For every time her boot slammed the metal platform the two battled upon... She could feel the overwhelming sense of wanting to simple halt right there and let him recover. Yet what good would it do? She'd only repeat what she'd been doing so many a time now; to yell at him to fight the control of the entity with any ounce of might he had left within him.  
>He'd battered her due the hesitance and mercy she bestowed him earlier, and it was then she realized that any hope she had of controlling the dark beast within him was impossible. He was waging two wars. One with her, right then and there, and within his very essence at precisely the same time. She could tell through every unintelligible roar, snarl, and garble he gave her. The sounds he made were filled with rage and endless agony, but she felt they weren't directed at her nor her attempts to hinder him. They were cries for her to help stop this conceited punishment, cries for her to stop him at all costs.<p>

Samus ripped off the layer of frozen and jagged armor for what felt like the umpteenth time, simultaneously feeling a swelling heat in her heart like it'd burst for her fellow Bounty Hunter as he tumbled from his icy perch and to the decorative platform below. She dropped her cannon to approach her fallen comrade, chest heaving and mouth dry within the sticky confines of her helmet. Threads of golden hair stuck to her forehead beneath it, making it itch and burn mildly but she paid it little heed.  
>He seemed to recover and a shocking rate as she decended upon him, the spell that foreshadowed him seemingly broken. Samus held a soft, hopeful smile beneath her helmet when he turned his helmeted head in her direction. Groans of pain mixed with exhaustion rattled his absurbly short yet stout frame. From a crack in his faceplate dribble a clear jelateneous fluid, and as Aran neared she could see the pattern of hardy shimmered scales between folds of pale skin.<p>

Without a word, his burning green eyes lifted to look her right in the face and up lifted his quivering hand out to her. To get him back on his feet, that's what a friend was for, what she was for. Aran moved for it almost on impulse, and even as she reached for it she could've sworn he rasped her name in a begging manner but it was hardly discernable through the vocal synthisizer his suit bore, and the depressurizing gas from inside his helmet.

From beneath their feet a seismic rumble stopped the two, and either looked about wildly in an attempt to locate it's source. Around them, sections of the arena crumbled or cracked apart, the metal flooring groaned as it flexed with the activity. The behemoth statues roared almost in testimony to their existance being trembled to pieces by the shifting grounds. Shards of ice darted from between Aran's boots like a pair of white snakes, to which she gave a surprised gasp and back-peddled before she was pierced by the trail of spiny elongated spines they left behind. Ocean blue eyes widened from beneath her visor as the glowing crystals grew in mass while they traveled at an alarming rate towards the recovering Phygrisian Hunter. He wheezed, attempting to throw himself out of the way but finding he hardly had energy to even roll onto his side.

"Rundas!" She shrieked, having suddenly found her voice and the will to move, hurtling herself between the slithering shards of fozen water. Her strides at full extension to outrun the shrill booms of the ice spires that raced for her comrade. She gave a shout of determination, lowering her shoulder in a sportsman's tackle to send the much larger Hunter rolling across the ground. Despite his great size, he sailed a considerable distance from the danger zone with the aid of her enhancements, leaving the Huntress to collapse to her knees in a violent trip as she tried to halt her inertia to keep from running him over and injurying him considerably more.  
>Rundas watched on from his resting place, having slid to an abrupt halt from hooking his elongated center claw to the floor, obsorbing the impact of her rounded armor shoulderplate. His vision blurred and swirled, but he remained able to discern what went on around him. Much to his grief, the Huntress stood hunched and stilled to lock eyes with him while the trails of his own power collided beneath her. The impact sent a towering shard through the metal beneath her feet, ripping her through the left shoulder and shattering her Chozo-made armor like it was made of rotted wood. Her screams remained contained within her helmet and the defeaning rumble of the crystals rubbing together and imerging.<p>

A pedestal of ice broke into a bloom like a malevolent flower at the base of the rising spire, mounting the Huntress on some sickening display. One that Rundas screamed at.

He released a primal howl to express the ache he felt for failing to protect her as she fell limp against the pillar, her body contorted at a horrific angle from the injury. A black wispy orb that formed from behind her - seemingly out of nowhere - cut his feelings short to one of shock with morbid curiousity. Shakily, he forced himself to stand and glare spears at the creature he recognized to be the one who had delved the past two months of his life into hell and darkness. Without hesitation, he raised a shielded hand, stirring the creature who observed it's catch with twisted amusement. It acted as if he wasn't there. Fluidly, it dodged the stream of chilled energy he sprayed in it's direction, screeching at him in furious retort yet unable to get a counter in from his persistance. He attempted to give chase as it had begun to withdraw from the airspace where Samus was suspended, yet he felt himself instantly drained and dizzy, his knees buckling with the sounds of his armor's warning systems blaring into his ear. They sounded louder than usual. He raised his gaze up at the black creature that had taken a now shrouded and less solid form, surrounded by an eerie blue sparkle and seeps of black gas. It seemed satisfied with it's work, casting a taunting glare from it's frosted visor down at the weakened Hunter, before it laughed. It was warped, raspy, and sounded distinctly female despite the deep metallic ring behind it.

"Get away from her..." He moaned angrily, forcing himself to lean back and watch as the creature seemed to do as he demanded, albiet being obnoxious about it.

She seemed to give him a mock-courtesy bow before ascending into the sky, her projected form dissipating by some unknown means for the logic that Rundas didn't care for at the moment. It wasn't long after the evil being's departure that the spire in which Samus was pierced on had started on it's way back into the bubbling magma-looking fuel below. A thin coat of ice from Rundas' naturally endowed weaponry prevented her from sinking into the mess with it. He sat back on his hocks, watching her with stuffed aches and whimpers and for once feeling more exposed than he'd ever been. He'd only felt this helpless once, and that was when he was a child. it was coming back now, just as strong as it was then. Seeing her laying there had drawn the graveness of their situation to him in a thick smog, and he unwillingly sponged it up.

"Come on, Rundas..." He willed to himself quietly. "You _need_to get up. She needs your help." He felt as if he was going to hurl his most recent meal each time he moved, being struck with a wave of nausea since his adrenaline had started to wear off. Over and over he'd taken it upon himself to come to her aid, ever since they met at the Metalis Cafe - a popular meeting ground among interstellar Bounty Hunters - two weeks before boarding the Space Command's ship to address the situation they'd been gathered together to assess. First that bar brawl that was started by two Grengals, then Ridley, now this...

His throat burned, luckily the last he ate luckily his own rations aboard his ship, and not that of the Space Pirate "underlings" he recalled vaguely obeying him. Should that dark entity be tied with them, it was a sure thing that word would spread fast that he'd overcome her grasp on his mind, and would soon be deemed a target of elimination. Seeing her chest rise and fall steadily confirmed that she was still alive, which urged him forward more. His toes spread to grasp the metal decorative floor beneath him, and he forced himself to stand steady, taking each step one at time with a sturdy slap to the ground. It felt like miles before he reached her, and despite the bile that curtled in the back of his throat, he bent down to gather her without examining the extent of her wounds. He didn't have time. He didn't have the strength. What he had was wittling away at a frightening rate, and hidden fear that he'd faint before getting her to safety sent him into overdrive. What mattered was getting the woman to safety, and the distant howls of Warp Hounds told him that he didn't have long to get that done. Rather than risking the deaths of them both to the indigenous species of Bryyo, he called for his ship to arrive to their location.

With one of his cannons shakily aimed at the only known source of entry to the silent arena floor, it was only a few minutes later that he heard the distinct roar of his ship's propultion systems. The bulbous bald-white aircraft raced through the cloudy sky and circled the battle-zone before it pin pointed a location of landing, proceeding to follow suit afterward. A little slower than Rundas had liked, but as long as it got there before the demension-bending beasts did, that's all that mattered. Without him really knowing it, he turned to walk for the blinding glow of the gravitational lift that materialized under the belly of the ship once it landed a few yards away, suddenly finding Samus was heavier than ever. That or he'd become unreasonably weak.  
>The interior of his ship was certainly fridged, and he suddenly wondered if it was a good idea for her to be inside at these tempatures. With no doubt the icey interior would quell any swelling she had in a matter of minutes, but the hole in her shoulder that was exposed had torn flesh and open veins that explused blood which could freeze deep into her body like a chain reaction. And eventually, stop her heart.<p>

"Lapsi- open medical bay one, adjust core tempature to sixty-six degrees. And retreat to previous coordinates... T-the Olympus base." He groaned heavily, slumping against the bulkhead.

_"Yes, Hunter Rundas."_ Replied the male A.I in the Phygrisian language. _"Medical bay 01 under preparation, reinstating previous destination coordinates."_The ship quaked as it's engines whirled in a fury of golden energy, shooting it for the stars.

The last place Rundas wanted to be right at that moment was planet side, for worry that the dark figure that was toying with Samus' disabled body was still in the vicinity. The sooner he got her to medical help, the better.


	2. Recovery

**Hi everyone! As I said, updates would be slow and I was confined with life and writer's block for this chapter, onto the third! I told you I will not abandon this story, I keep my word. Thank you so much I'm glad this story has received attention. I know it's slim pickings in terms of solid writing between these two (So many stories but most are abandoned and half-assed) Metroid Fan Fiction world, which is why I simply had to get something out there. **

**Just a small change in the title and this story is now called 'Twice' for a few reasons. However this name is derived from the song by Little Dragon.**

**Lemme know what you think, enjoy!**

**- Fruity Sangheili**

* * *

><p>Steadily, the partially bare chest of the legendary Huntress rose, then fell. Her breath released a fast-evaporating fog that swept over her face from the downdraft of the focus-point heater Rundas had placed above her to ensure her body temperature didn't drop below safe levels, he found the previously set heat was still too warm, and thus dropped it to fifty-five degrees.<p>

He watched her now from the corner of the medical room, his Ship's A.I in control of the ship as the Phrygisian saw it fit. The ship creaked steadily as it swayed in flight, creating a lulling, rocking atmosphere. He'd done all he could for her injury, Phrygisian medicine and Human science were more incompatible than he first realized. Now, he'd stopped the bleeding with a quick application of cleansing Bio-foam and a soft synthetic graft-pad.

The Hunter dropped his elongated head towards his gaunt chest, stroked a now bare palm no longer incased in ice over his pronounced brow-ridge, plated head, and back over the length of one of his antlers. The pride of a male Phrygisian, his antlers. Rundas considered his to be quite the display. His tiny upside down "U"-shaped nostrils flared at the end of his snout, in taking the molecules of many new smells besides that of the usual sterilized, hospital scent. He could smell blood, stress, pheromones, pain… All coming from the wound and the unconscious Huntress.

Three hours into flight and it hadn't shown signs of infection yet, but Rundas considered this all to be a sickening dose of dumb-luck. He didn't banish the doubt of it growing festering bacteria the moment he took her out into Bryyo's hot environment.

"Lapsi, destination time estimate." He commanded dryly, his white tongue sticking to the inside of his rubbery gums that held angular blunt-end fangs. He licked his smooth and pronounced reptilian-esc lips in frustration at the discomfort. While having been treated for his wounds simultaneously by the ship's A.I itself as Samus, he could still feel the effects the possession left behind.

_"Estimated time of arrival at current speed of travel, thirty minutes and fourteen seconds." _Said the male voice.

"Well, didn't take as long as I thought." He muttered tiredly with a taint of sarcasm and stood from the stool made of ice and metal. His natural leathery plating clinked softly as he limped to the berth where Aran lay resting, pressing the knuckles of both hands against the rim, shifting his weight forward to suspend himself over her slightly, Never before had he felt a worse feeling in his chest than he did now.

"Stay with me, Samus… Stay with me." He whispered to her gruffly. From beneath her lids he could see her eyes shifting. She was dreaming. He hoped whatever she was dreaming about was peaceful, considering the state of her health along with what she had to accomplish to get to him.

He'd administered pain killers, the ones he knew Humans weren't allergic to. He was no medic, but his ship had measured the appropriate dosage for him. Sometimes he felt bested to the A.I, but that's what Lapsi was for. To be the calm during the storm as he felt no such emotion as panic or distress.

"Lapsi, continue to monitor patient's Heart Rate and Internal Pressures until destination arrival, notify me before entering Planet's atmosphere. I'm going to turn in, try to get some sleep." He ordered groggily and moved away from the table.

_"Yes, Hunter Rundas." _Lapsi complied, monotone.

He paused, looking at the white sheet folded on a jutting metal shelf in the wall at the foot of the examination table. He hoped he wouldn't have to cover the Huntress with it. Ever. His burning, multiple verdant eyes traveled across to her once more. She was sleeping peacefully in an oversized garment after he peeled her suit from her battered frame. It how sat folded on the garment shelf.

She was unconscious, to be matter-of-factly. Her pale, almost white-blonde hair had been removed from it's pony-tail, and it sprayed like a fall of golden water over the end where her head rested. He noticed it'd regain some of it's natural waviness from her sweta. Uttering in his native tongue about 'Hell freezing over', he dimmed the lights of the room and exited, closing the door softly behind him.

His lids sagged heavily once his head was brought down onto the thick pillow of his cot. Staring at the crystalline dust of frost settled frailly on it's surface, he opened his mouth and exhaled to purposefully send a cloud of it shimmering into the stale air of his quarters.

He wouldn't call the room grand, but it was certainly a luxury few Hunters could afford. Adjusting his head to bring his chin around and rest upon it flatly, he winced as he dropped it too quickly, his jaws clopping beneath his jowls mutedly.

"Dammit."

**::… 33 Minutes later …::**

_"Hunter Rundas, atmospheric entry in four, minutes. Hunter Rundas, atmospheric entry in four, minutes. Hunter Rundas-"_

"Alright!" He barked slurred-ly up at the flat white-gray ceiling to silence the A.I's repetitive alarm. He slapped a gravelly palm to his sloped forehead and rubbed his temples. Twenty-five minutes was not enough, even for a nap.

_"Voice sample accepted. Greetings, Hunter_ Rundas." Lapsi said calmly, oblivious to his Master's blatant discomfort. _"Atmospheric entry into Norion, in two, minutes."_

"_Ngghh_…. Acknowledged. Prepare a communications stream with _Olympus_. Display level three distress signal. Critically wounded on board." He groaned upon heaving himself up from his cot and sitting on the lip of the frame. The worry he'd briefly been able to push out of his mind in order to rest quickly flooded it again. "Lapsi, update on Hunter Samus Aran."

_"Monitor signs shows patient is in stable condition, no fluctuation in HBR or IBP. Previous orders followed confirmed."_

"Good…" He sighed quietly. "Prepare my armor." He stood woozily, bracing himself on the post-shaped nightstand and scratched his bare plated chest before he shuffled forward into the narrow hall that encased his decorative wardrobe. He could hear the brackets inside whirring and clanking as the mechanical shelving arms brought forth his frosty environmental suit. He stopped just before the shimmering panel that blended into the corridor wall slid open with a exhaling shudder, extending the clattering battle gear that hung uniform on it's layered racks.

**::… Docked ****_Olympus_****, Darrus Base, Norion, Communications and Trafficking Center …::**

"Commander Udeski, sir, I've got an incoming distress call, Phrygisian link-wave encryption key. It's Rundas! '_Critically wounded on board_'." The young and scrawny C.O shouted frantically from his seat. He retreated off to the side before his more experienced colleague could shove him from the seat.

"Unbelievable. It's Samus Aran." Josh Udeski muttered shakily. His fingers flew over the keyboard, dull gray-green eyes flicking between his weathered knuckles to the screens above him.

"Lieutenant, establish contact with Capt. Jamal of the _Haven's Reign._" He said briskly, glancing up and raising his thin brows as the haggard face of the Phrygisian appeared in a green bordered communications window.

"Rundas?" He began carefully, still getting over the fact he was seeing the Hunter without his helmet. The creature had a set of intense eyes with white hot pupils. A pair of 'dummy' eyes above the real ones, pupiless, stared like the dead in a sickening way. Small inlets along the sides of his horns held dots that glowed the same color as his eyes from bacteria within them, except they held a more golden hue. A trait left from evolution and was practically worthless now, other than for show.

_"Get hospital staff to Landing Pad-001. Samus Aran has been gravely wounded and is in stable condition, but is need of immediate medical care." _The husky-voiced alien said with more alertness then what first came across in his face.

"Right away."

**::...::**

Rundas watched the man tiredly as his flabby white Human face looked off screen to address his requests, he felt as if he was on the border of fainting. His adrenaline died off long ago, and the energy packet he fed himself withered away quicker than he wanted. On a secondary monitor, he could see a small crew of medical officers rushing towards the pad with a white levitating gurney, all of their small eyes wide at the shocking news.

_Wait till they see the damage. _He thought humorlessly.

**::… ****_Olympus_**** Landing Pad 001 …::**

Field Medic Ray Crawford squinted his eyes, brought his hands up to block out the intense heat the Ship's engines waved off the pad before it's landing pegs decompressed with a loud and steady roar. His salty gray and white hair was continuously brushed from his stern façade.

"Sir!"

An assistant yelled behind him, rushing up to grab the cuff of his uniform. "ER is fully operational, tools are hot!"

"Thank you, Jarred!" Crawford sent back a thankful glance at the man who wore black, thick eyeglass frames, his short gray coat whipping around in the wind. He then turned back to the scene as the men had Aran's disabled body out of Rundas' arms and onto the gurney. All puzzled and shocked at the volatile injury on her shoulder. A young assistant seemed as if he was going to vomit when his instructor pulled away the crude patchwork applied to the gaping hole for a quick visual assessment. He then lifted his head and flicked two fingers in the direction of the doorway, signaling to get her into surgery.

Crawford moved to meet the towering alien as the crew rushed the woman past, nodding a welcome. He waited for Rundas to tear his eyes away from the scene before he spoke. "Good to have you back, Rundas. Capt. Jamal of the _Haven Reign_ is currently docked and present, he'll be waiting to speak with you. One hour, you'll be debriefed until further notice. Medical examiners are waiting for you in the nearest bay to clear you. I'll be sure they get you a room ready before you can snap your fingers."

"Thanks." He managed, lumbering past the tiny Human man who shuffled about to follow with his habitual jitters.

**::… Olympus Interior …::**

Inside, Rundas found things went by quicker than expected. The Captain was lax, and seemed more concerned with the Hunter's well-being rather than pestering him with questions of the past events that had Samus under the knife a few sections away.

Therefore he was debriefed and sent to a decontamination chamber before lead to his assigned quarters in record time. Capt. Jamal hadn't asked too much, only one what happened to Samus, which Rundas blatantly lied and told him she was injured during a battle. He did not pursue the cause of Rundas' disappearance, though he did assure the Hunter they'd have an in depth discussion of the matter before the Board later on.

**::….::**

His head was heavy when he awoke after what seemed like days, his sleep was hard and dreamless… Something he was grateful for. It was rest well-earned in his respected view, yet as he sat up on the scraggy bed his mind then wandered back to the blonde Human whom he considered more of a companion than others. The real reason behind his curious behavior towards her dared not show itself, but he could feeling it slithering around the borders of his psyche despite the minority barrier of denial he'd placed around himself. Disgruntled, he lifted his stiff body off the bed, and engage in a series of gentle stretches before gathering his ceremonial armor and stepped into the empty hall outside his room.

As he made for the corner leading to the elevation lift, a female Human in plain gray wears nearly slammed into his middle. She looked flustered as she lifted her eyes to him, having been distracted by something on her PED, which she nearly dropped.

"Rundas! Oh, I am _so_ sorry!" She blathered waveringly, tucking the device away into her coat pocket hurriedly and blowing her light red dyed hair out of her face.

"Doesn't matter," He shook his head slowly a nonchalant way. "You're Dr. N-Wright, correct?"

"Yes, Tabitha N-Wright. Crawford informed you?" N-Wright smiled gently once she contained herself.

"Yeah, uh, Samus, how is she?" He wasn't going stand around for idle chatter. The M.O realized this right away, and nodded her head in a way that made him uneasy.

"She is stable now, the phazon in her system is somehow helping in healing the hole in her shoulder faster, she is available to visit, just keep the noise to a minimum," She nodded as he confirmed to abide by her recommendation with a subtle grunt. "She's awake, but she fades in and out of consciousness… Rundas, what happened to her?" The woman tilted her head.

"She…. Took a hit for me." He almost winced at his words. Why was he lying like this? It wasn't like him. Must've been that damned Phygrisian pride again…

N-Wright bit her lower lip, shaking her head and raising her brow. "That, was one _Hell_ of a hit. She's lucky she's alive, we had what appeared to be shards of metal imbedded in some of the muscle tissue near her heart." She noticed the large man wince beneath his defrosted mask. "Don't worry, we got the shards out no problem… But, like I said. If you want to go visit, go right ahead, just before to minimize the activity, her brain was badly swollen from the lack of oxygen, but with her minced genetic make-up she's healing brilliantly.

"I wouldn't think anything less of Samus Aran. Thanks." He bowed his head subtly, pulling away from her when she returned the send off in her own way.

**::… Recovery Room, CCU …::**

Samus' head throbbed dully, dwindled down from the raging migraine she had three hours ago, the meds doing their magic. She was grateful for the pain killers that constantly fed into her IV drip line. The sound of a hiss indicating someone entered her room reached her ears, she stiffened at the quiet footsteps her acute hearing picked up. Her azure eyes flickered up at the shadow that befell her and her face considerably softened, glad to see it wasn't a nosey and loud doctor.

"….Hi." She mouthed with a muted exhale, wincing when she felt the cuts on her lips crack open again.

"Hey," He gestured to her with the lank motion of his arm, his helmeted head bobbing. His helmet had frosted up once more before he entered the room, only two of his nile green eyes glowing down at her through the cloud of chilly air. "You look better than you feel, I'm sure."

"Who said… I feel bad?" She whispered aloud.

"Drugs doin' a good job, huh?" He chuckled, looking behind himself fleetingly before seating his hind-end on a rolling stool, pulling himself up to the bedside with his feet. He sat hunched, elbows on his armored thighs.

She nodded stiffly twice. "Yes… Are _you_ feeling better?" Samus then asked hoarsely. She sounded wholly parched.

"Better than I've ever been." He answered laxly. "A quick oversight shows my Phazon production levels have dropped, and are seemingly 'normal'; at least that's what _they_ call it."

She smiled even though it hurt. "That's good… I-I think…. I think you should still go get a deeper- exam, Rundas."

"Don't worry about it, I will." He said gruffly, waving her off. He didn't like being fretted over, his ego wouldn't allow it, especially not from her. Not because she was female, but because she was still competition as the "Best Hunter in the Galaxy." …. Okay, part of it _was_ because she was a girl, although he withheld that fragment of potentially offensive info to himself. "I know how to care for myself…" He straightened.

"Samus," The Phrygisian began. "I didn't think I'd be saying this anytime soon, but, thanks. You repaid me, you got me out of a jam that, admittedly, I couldn't pull through myself. Now, I owe you one. I didn't think that'd happen."

_You mean you were too weak to break it… _Samus smiled to herself. She enjoyed the competitive edge he had with her. "Getting… Deep there, a little, Rundas?"

He sounded flustered. "I'm just comin' out with it. You need make it difficult?"

"I am, Rundas… But… You don't have," She paused to swallow. "Don't- Have to say a thing. I owed you…. Like you said. I gave you repayment, you- Don't owe me anything…."

"Well, I'll be the decision maker on those terms, Samus." He finished, smiling beneath his helmet, although she couldn't see it. "I guess I'll get out of your face for now." He stood, nodding at her once.

"I'd like, for you to stay…" She said, almost hopefully. "But I'd rather you get your butt- Down to Medical and get a more th-thorough- Look over."

"Drop it will you? I'll go down later…. Right now I feel fine, besides being a little hungry. I came straight here… Which do you want more? Me to stay or go? I mean I'll stay, you don't have to beg." He said with a usual egotistical air.

She tried to laugh only for it to come out as a series of quiet coughs. Her face contorted painfully, having hurt her shoulder. She shook her head, swallowing softly, her voice retained it's croaking hiss. "Rundas, I just worry. You… You were _possessed_, by possibly- One of the m-most powerful forces- In the galaxy… Not, something, easily- Forgotten. And. Since… When do I- Need to beg? You don't want… To leave… They'll be needing to drag you out."

"Hah, that's what you think." He retorted smarmily.

"We'll see…" She whispered, her face suddenly very tired.

Rundas glanced over his shoulder, spotting a particular nurse staring into the room from across the _CCU_ and into the wide observatory windows. She was only being observant of her patient. He recalled N-Wright's words and chose to stick to them. He turned back to Samus, leaning down to hover of her face. She flicked her ultramarine eyes up at him curiously and raised a dark brow.

"Get some rest. We're about to get in trouble, you shouldn't be interacting too much." He said, hushed.

"Thanks… For the concern." Samus smiled up at him, her strong gaze tracking him while he stood and traversed the room to the door just as the nurse entered her vision, clearly miffed that she was so active. Despite it all, Samus felt fine. "I will."

"Rest easy, Samus." He bowed in his species formal departure, setting off the sensor to the door and stepping out as it opened. He remained purposefully oblivious to the nurse's presence at the door, nearly running her over before finishing the act by excusing himself.

Aran could only watch on with an obnoxious grin behind her oxygen mask, trying her damnedest to hide it when the nurse entered to scold her and check on her.

**::… Exam Room …::**

Rundas blinked in discomfort once the nurse had pulled away the light from his eye, grunting in annoyance at the flashes of purple and green in eyes that warped across his vision.

"Does he check all clear, ma'am?" Asked the black-skinned Human that stood next to him, clad in militia garbs.

"Yes Captain. Diagnostics have come back clean for the third time, the Phazon is still there, but it's barely traceable." Said the nurse with some slight concern. "It's as if it's disintegrating… Regardless, would you like me to run a complete check on his PED?"

"Please." Said Ryomen with the bob of his head, his eyes tracking her as she removed the stack of equipment from a nearby table and hurried with it out of the exam room.

"With that out of the way. Lets get this questions rolling…" Ryomen spun about, hands firmly pressed to his back while he addressed the Bounty Hunter. "Rundas, do you remotely remember anything other than the events of the stadium with Samus?"

The Phrygisian shook his head. "Unfortunately, things are still quite a bit hazy, sir. No doubt in the next coming days I'll have dream-fears of them."

"Possibly. For the next week we'll be observing for psychiatric flocculation waves… If you do have any recurring dreams, Rundas, report it to the psyche ward immediately."

"Woah, woah! Captain, I'm not some nut alright? I don't think that'll be necessary if you don't mind me saying, sir." Rundas shook his head.

"I'm not saying you are," Ryomen argued calmly. "I know it seems offensive, but that's not how I want it to come across. We worry for you, Rundas. The Federation doesn't want to lose you again, you're a vital key to this mission. This is serious, and it's almost not of your character to express so little concern for your well being, especially after all that's happened. I only want you to report the details of your dreams so that they may be evaluated. That's all. That is…. If you can remember them."

The giant sighed in quiet defeat. Gahl's words had reason to them, he was particularly on spot about his carelessness. It wasn't becoming of him, possibly due to the fact he couldn't remove Samus' health from his mind. It was only the first day, give it a few more and she'd be back on her feet like nothing happened, no doubt.

**::… Fourth day docked …::**

His pointed boots traversed the corridor and he ignored the awkward stares sent by passing personnel. On his way to the Mess Hall, Rundas seemed to be in a much more active and relatively delightful mood. Although not outside of his environmental suit, his faceplate wasn't nearly as frosted as it usually was, allowing all who breezed by to glimpse the alien's face.

His diet had returned, despite a few upset starts of his digestive system after being deprived of it for so long. For two cycles after he'd made his emergency landing at the base, he feared eating for he knew his appetite was about as active as a boulder. Now with his stomach back on track, his activity stirred like a War-Wasp hive. After his meal, his intentions would turn onto visiting the Huntress who was now taking routine physical demonstration therapy appointments as of yesterday, three times a day. To ensure her motor skills had not become rusty.

**::… Recovery Unit …::**

Doctors seemed genuinely baffled during a rescan of her shoulder to find no scar tissue was present in or around the point of entry. Clearly oblivious to the incredible healing powers Samus wielded, then again her background history was hardly known outside of very few, most whom of which were dead or in hiding now.

Still… She had hopes.

She now sat on the bed she'd been 'banished' to on insistent medical terms, itching to leave the bland security of the recovery room and get back to business, knowing full well that there were two others she considered close that needed saving. Her body trembled from the therapeutic exercise she'd endured prior, adrenaline slow to quiet itself.

Not necessarily 'endured' if she could say. Sure, it was painful, but she had the least issue getting about unlike the other Human patients who'd all been severely injured in the Space Pirate raid a month and a half ago. She stared down at her toes, curling them and frowning at the tingle the action sent up her legs and spine. Blood flow to her legs was slow, she needed to hydrate more, and her muscles ached. As she tilted her gaze after resting her elbows upon her knees with her chin braced in her palms, she swelled her cheeks childishly with thought. She watched the monitor that gave a read out of her heartbeat rise and fall at a steady rate.

Then she flicked her blue eyes up at the shower of naturally golden hair hanging over her forehead that carried a peachy-tone in some areas. It wasn't exactly red, more like an absurdly pale copper color. Like that of a new penny.

Ends are more frayed then I remember…

She frown, blowing at it gently.

Her mood perked when the room door whirred ajar, granting way to a rather busy-looking nurse in bland attire. She adjusted a dark curl to tuck it from her face and back under her cap, offering the Huntress a shallow smile while she looked over her vitals.

"Feeling alright?" She finally spoke, making Samus glower comically behind her back. She hadn't even bothered to introduce herself or even greet the other woman.

"Feeling fine." She answered with a hint irritability. "I have to ask, though, at what point you people are going to let me out…? Because I don't know if it's slipped the mind of everybody in this sector all of a sudden, but there are two Bounty Hunters that are in trouble. Sitting around and doing nothing is potentially putting everyone at risk. Including you all here."

The woman was quiet for several moments almost as if she ignored Samus' rant. Then she clicked the top of her old fashioned pen that sat nestled in her breast pocket in a way that Samus figured was habit, and turning to her with her bottom lip bit.

"I'll see about your release date, Ms. Aran." She said in a gentle fashion. "We're only concerned for your safety, however I'd like to remind you that it was not my choice, ma'am. I'm only doing what I'm paid to do…" She smiled. "Lunch will be ready shortly at twelve, that's less than thirty minutes from now, during that time I'll call the hospital administrative, alright?"

Finally, someone who listens….

Samus grumbled mentally, then spoke. "Yes, thank you."

The woman nodded before her departure, hustling out of the room to escape the aggressive atmosphere with Aran's insistence. Thought it was safe to say that no blame was to fall on either of them other than the Hospital higher-ups themselves for their Zoomer-speed treatment.

Understandably she was pissed. At the moment she wanted nothing to do with anyone, she simply wanted to be encased in her damn armor, and back on her ship,_ today._

Aran leaned back, allowing her body to drop onto the bed before she rotated on her haunches and pulling her feet in under the thin knit cover. She exhaled.

No point in being angry about something she couldn't do anything about at the moment, not a subject like this. For now it was best to get as much rest as possible. Occasional headaches made themselves known to Samus, telling her that the swelling in her brain had yet to go down, but she was in far better shape than four days ago.

She had to be thankful for that Chozo blood running through her to help speed along her recovery, along with the admittedly unwanted phazon.

**::… 35 Minutes later …::**

The door whined softly again, the steady clack of the nurse's soled flats stirred Samus from the light nap she'd fallen into. Stiffly, the Bounty Hunter turned to address her.

"Query?"

"Here is a pad containing your discharge information, Ms. Aran." The woman said with a smile. "You'll be sent on your way in the hour with a prescription aspirin for lingering symptoms that may occur with cranial swelling. If you've any headaches, fever, nausea, dizziness, hallucinations, vomiting, discharge, abdominal pain, muscle cramps; particularly in the legs or feet then you're going to have to come back and let us know."

By the time the nurse had finished, Samus' upper lip was tugged in disgust at the array of symptoms she could've possibly gotten from this medication. "Okay…. And how exactly common are these sort of reactions to this?"

"Incredibly rare. I have you set to take it for a week, it must be taken twice a day, after breakfast and before dinner. Wait a while, about an hour after taking your first dose to see how everything goes. Just a precautionary measure."

"You people don't know the dietary habits of Bounty Hunters do you?" She said humorously as she took the bottle the woman held out and examined it. "Alright… Has it been confirmed safe in terms of blending in phazon?"

"It shouldn't have any general effects, but as I said before, come back and see us if you've any issues at all that you think might be related to an allergic reaction." The woman straightened and turned when the door opened, two figures flowed into the room. One significantly taller and making Samus smile in relief.

He bobbed his head at her silently, stepping aside to take up space in the corner of the room to observe silently while another doctor crowded around her.

"Ms. Aran, your discharge has been served, you're free to leave." He said matter-of-factly with a wide smile." He then glanced to the woman and nodded. "Has Katherine run over all she's had to with you?"

"Pretty much." Samus replied loftily, relieved that she could finally escape.

"I have," the woman now known as Katherine spoke up. "She's got all she needs. Your Varia Suit is in custody at the moment, we'll give you proper clothing before you leave, so you don't have to disembark in a gown." She chuckled, sweeping around on the ball of her heal to follow the man out.

It was a moment of silence before Rundas uncrossed his arms, leaned up off the wall, and padded towards her. "Well then, I better get my engine warmed, huh?"

She sniggered, wrinkling her nose. "You bet. I've been going ballistic to get out of here…. I finally had to snap at someone today in order to get some progress done here otherwise God knows how long I'd have stayed in this place."

"Eh, it's for your own good." He seated himself on the same stool he did when he first arrived to see her. "Compared to your arrival you're like one of those fast-flapping Earth birds."

"A Hummingbird?" She offered a curved smile.

"Yeah. That…" He fell quiet before speaking again. "You eat yet?"

"I have, it wasn't exactly the most filling, so I'll grab something from the Mess Hall before we get out of here…" She slowed and her smile fell before she gasped. "Damn, my ship!"

"Taken care of, I had them refer a recovery crew back to Bryyo to pick it. It's in the repair bay, just examined, no damage other than some atmospheric burns on entry on her nose; no signs of tampering." Rundas said confidently.

"Thank you," She sighed. "I'm surprised the inhabitants didn't bother it…"

"Besides a few signs left by some birds, that's it. That ship has a good security system, they had to manually take the system offline with a radio code." He stood with a grunt. "I'll meet you in the launch bay, radio me when your ready, you know my COMM is always open for you."

Samus mentally paused. He was really pushing that 'for you' at the end of his sentence, unless she was just imagining it. She decided to roll with it only being her, and nodded. "Thanks. We'll discuss departure plans when we're out there then?"

"If you want. Unless you want to talk about it now…?"

"No, no. The sooner we're out of here the better." She raised her brows when her stomach gurgled angrily. "Ohh, food. It's needed."

The alien chuckled. "I'll catch you later then," He glanced over his shoulder when Katherine arrived with a bundle of clothes in her arms. "Here comes your ticket to freedom now."

She smiled gently as he turned and lumbered out just as the nurse entered, offering a small greeting to the woman in passing, who returned it briskly.

**::… Docked Olympus: Launch Bay, Deck 033 …::**

She felt at home clad in her armor again. Her rubber heels thumped the bay with authority, renew vigor. Visor gleamed the green it always had even in the shade of the bay. Soldiers regarded her with respect and awe, some of the men admiring her from afar while she converse with her fellow hunter over plans. Even glad in armor her perfect body glimmered curvaceously. Gone unnoticed by all but Samus, this behavior had set Rundas on edge, his actions going about the docking bay displayed more emphasis. He was even invading their space by closely observing every man that approached her and although his face was not visible beneath the frost on his helmet, she was sure that he was scowling hilariously.

This wasn't like him, but Samus had come to suspect he was infatuated beyond a small crush and was serving to stake claim and protection over her. He flirted when they first met, and throughout each time they came across each other. He offered his aid to her more than any other Hunter. Not even Ghor, nor Gandrayda had been honored with such attention.

At first there was a competitive edge between them, surely he'd be impressed if she recalled all her accomplishments over a drawn out conversation.

She was amused, not completely to the subject of having a relationship as some would think. She knew her image was widely spread as a cold hard Bounty Hunter without concern for another and other worked to gain her payout. Those who truly knew her, knew that she held a heart of gold and was compassionate about her work and her companions. She was humorous, flexible, yet her bravery and skill outwitted that downed appearance.

Gandrayda had interrogated her on her outlook of relationships in the bounty hunting business during their suspended wait aboard the G.F.S _Olympus_. It was fear of losing someone she'd allow to get close to her that prevented anything from blooming between her and someone. She'd had a relationship before, with a young man during her early years with the Galactic Federation. It didn't last very long, as her quiet demeanor then was off-putting and they had to call it quits. Things he wouldn't bother to understand about her was also another notion for their departure of each other.

Silently this streamed through her mind as she watched the giant ice-clad alien speak to her about his opinion on their plans.

"… So I think the best course of action is to head back to Bryyo…. Samus? … _Saaamus_?" He waved his hand before her face, startling her back to reality and she lifted her head from his abdomen. "Did you even here a word I said?"

"Y-yes, Rundas. I did. If you feel that'd be best, then I suppose we could go with it. I just worry about you entering that planet again…." She said quieter than usual.

The Phrygisian shook his head. "Samus, the planet didn't do that to me. Dark Samus did. And she could do it to you, if you're not careful."

She smiled. "I'm well aware…. Rundas, you do need to tell about all that went on, if you can remember."

"I would if I could, Samus. Mind yourself when we're down there…" He said as he turned to walk for his ship.

"You do the same." She said with the shake of her helmeted head, approaching her ship soon after.

It glimmered in the overhead lighting, freshly washed and waxed after it's repair. Left over wash formula on the deck lapped around the border of her boots as she approached the glossy and renewed spacecraft. Without a word she enter the confines of the ship, made herself at home within the familiar seat, and briskly departed close behind Rundas' ship.

They were headed to Bryyo, and hopefully, both were prepared for what could've been laying in wait for their return. All the Human prayed for was that the dark presence that had nearly sealed the fate of her fellow Bounty Hunter was long absent.


End file.
